• The minister’s honest epitaph
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    I posted at InFocus yesterday morning on the honest epitaph. Funerals are awkward things. At a time when people are most attuned to the hard realities of truth, we often sigh as speaker after speaker tries desperately to make a halo fit around the horns of the dearly deceased. I’ve

  • Benefits of dealing with the “too hard” box
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    If you commit to handling the “too hard” cases well, there will be some benefits. 1) Your “too hard” box will shrink. I’m not saying you’ll have fewer difficult cases. You’ll probably have the privilege of working with more difficult cases. What I mean is that there will be fewer

  • Nine ways to help people in the “too hard” box
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    How do you help people in the “too hard” box? I mean, the whole reason they’re there is that their problem is too hard. One approach is to get degrees in theology, psychology, sociology, anthropology, counselling, psychiatry, and a few other assorted fields and come up with solutions to all

  • The damage of the “too hard” box
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    There is no problem in the “too hard” box that wasn’t made worse by being tossed into the “too hard” box. Regardless of how sinister or innocent our motivation may be, the result tends to be the same. The damage to you You might be surprised by the suggestion that

  • Christian ministry and the “too hard” box
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    If you’re involved in any sort of Christian ministry, you’ve probably got a steady stream of “projects” coming across your desk. Births, deaths, engagements, marriages, family problems, relationship issues, etc. And if you’ve been at it for any length of time, you’ve probably developed an approach to each of these

  • Two voices on pastoral ministry
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    I came across two unrelated comments today on the pastoral ministry. The first comment was from Booker T. Washington in his autobiography Up From Slavery. Washington was born into slavery in the United State of America and went on to found Tuskegee University after emancipation in 1863. In his comments

  • Pastor or pope?
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    The subject at hand is extremely controversial and the ramifications of such an article will no doubt cause me open contempt, disrespect and possibly the label of ‘heretic.’ In spite of the inevitable results, I feel it necessary, yea vital, to present readers with a Biblical perspective on the role

  • Celebrity Christians
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    One of most defining features of our time is the rise of the celebrity. Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian are famous for being famous. Talent and substance are not required. The ability to draw a crowd or following on Facebook seems to be the only requirement to become a celebrity.

  • A common enemy
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    It is a universal principle that people need enemies. Loud protests notwithstanding, people need enemies. It is fundamental to modern politics. The left has the right. The right has the left. The people have the politicians. And the politicians have the people. We all have enemies. And we have them

  • Ministry: A career or a call?
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      My day job is all about career development. I help people achieve their goals by analysing their skills, providing development training, and arranging targeted job interviews. It is satisfying to help people grow their careers, achieve their objectives, and increase their pay packets. Ministry: A career? However, I have